Rahsaan Roland Kirk made the move to Atlantic Records in the mid-1960’s, releasing his first album with the label in 1967. That album, entitled Here Comes The Whistleman, was produced by Joel Dorn, a producer who dubbed himself “the masked announcer” and had worked with artists like Hubert Laws and The Modern Jazz Quartet before meeting the instrumentalist, known at the time as Roland Kirk.
He recognised Kirk’s talents, and continued to work with Kirk, producing some of the albums which are now regarded as his finest. After Kirk’s death, Dorn worked to preserve his legacy and bring his work to a larger audience. This interview with Dorn provides a great insight into their working relationship, and Kirk’s personality.
Sections of the interview are used in The Case of the Three Sided Dream, an independent film on the life and music of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, which we screen here at Band on the Wall on 25th August 2016.
